Artificial denture.



F. U. BOWERS.

ARTIFICIAL DENTURE APPLICATION FILED 050.18, 1917.

A TTORNE YS.

4.0A ""'Fi'g. 1 5 isa detail section of the base and palatal plates *shovving -them' 'bedded to- Vriemmmol;aU. BOWERS, or SAN. FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AnfrrrmIAL-DENTURE Specification of Letters Patent.

raten-tea ret.' i, wie.

\ 4Application filed December 18, 1917. Serial No. 207,647.

To allwhm'ztmay' concern 'B e' 1tlrnovvnv that I,- FREDERICK U. BOWERS, a' citizen of the United States, residing at the city and 'county of `San Franciscoand 5 -State of" California, havein'vented new" and xiisefurimprovements in Artificial Dentures, -jof `which theV following isa specification.

Thisinventio'nrelates to artificial dentures o'rdentaVplateS, and"pertainsespecially to :1W the' production of a metal plate Which is of llght Weight, Sanltary, Well' tting and comA lfffortal') 1e'to' the VWearer,`and in which there is no"-'ru`bbe1" vvhatever exposed :except`l the outer ,labial surface, Which latter may be of 4lui -'pnk"rubber, colored synthetic`=porcelain, or

-' therlike,` to simulate the'color of the gums;

theinterior' 0 1" kpalatal lsurface fof thdplate ybeing of a built-upmetal structure.

*1 The-usual'f'niethod of' constructing a set i *of-teeth'"vv1th'metal-backing, is'to employ a "'fgolldior other metallicplate Aof considerable """tl`1ifclin`ess'and4 strength,"andarranged in a "3" bed of vulcanized "rubber around the rim thereofiiwhich theteeth are set. vThe' rub- 1 beris`l` exposed to the mouthvboth at the outj "side and insideof the teeth and the metallic plate isy necessarily of such "size and 'Weight as to fbe expensive and" diificllltto shape and {"euinbersomearid tiresome to the `We'arer.

. Fig. 12 is va `rear viewof the model.

Fig. *13 isa detail view of the baseplate. *"fFigL 14 'is'a detail'vieW of thepalatal f`v`plate.

"f 'getheln "l According to the present invention two" gold, orfoth'er metallic lplates A and B of teeiitreniethinness are employed in place of the""si`ngle" comparatively heavy-plate here "*tofore used'.` Plate A. is thebase plate and ""'Bbrepresents the palatal plate, which latter "in the "iinished'fp'roduct is brought up -`close 'e0 to the teeth C "and wedged snugly there- .ganst there beingla thin'` layer of `vulcanffize'd' rubber kD between the"plates"and inf' I is'rafperspective vieW of a' 'dental' sion 10 of the'mouth is made in the usual manner.

2. Making the model- The impression 10 obtainedisjbuilt up on theoutside to provide a receptacle of sufficient depth into which the basemetal is'poured vto obtain the model Whichis represented at l1.` l This model is made of zinc" or Mellots metah (SeeFig. e.)

Swagz'nfg Ithe base plump-Upon the model ll thus obtained I next sWage the base "plate A in the manner Wellknown in the art; being careful to obtain a correct molding of the plate to the configurations of the 4mouth in which theplate is later `to be inserted. (See Fig. 5.)

4. Attaching the anchorages-The base plate. A is then removed .from the `model 11, Vand thereis soldered on thejlingual side of the' alveolarridg'e 'of the base plate a number'of small loops2 to V hold the rubber; these 1 'loops beingprovided vpreferably bya suitf'ablylooped'wire'f (See-Fig, 13.)

bitefby placinga roll of vvaX'on theJ alveolar ridge of the base "plate and introducing the Whole 4into the mouthrequiring the patient to bite upon. it, thereby obtaining an impressionof the'lovverA teeth in the Wax.

6. vAarticula'Zing. -`The Whole is then removed from the' mouth and placed upon the top partof anarticulator in the usualmannei'ythat is, the'portion of the bite 'containing theimpri'nt made by the natural teeth is' filled with plasterof`Paris, allowed to set and the vvaX then removed; theplasterportion remaining being a replica of the natural teethfrom which the bite Was made.` The `articial teeth which 'areto form part of the finished plate are set up'fin Wax on thel base late and built up to the proper contour and ength.

7. Preparing torswage the palafal plate- The model 11 is then put into a ring svvager 13. Upon the' model is laid the base-plate having the teeth and Wax thereon. Dental plaster 14, for somev other quick hardening i.substanceisp'ouredinto the ring 13 "around the `outside 'of the' teeth and over the top surface of `the teeth and allovvedto set. All "plaster, however, is excluded from the inside l`or palatalsurface. The fobjectof'this outsi'dereinforcin to the teeth by means of the plaster isto ho d the teeth rmly in position C andsupp'ort themV from the outsideso-that .i'fthey cannotbe disturbed by the act ofswag ing the palatal plate'B, which' is to cover the palatal surface (see Fig. 7).

S. Swagz'ng Lc palatal plata-I now proceed to swage the palatal plate B by swaging, removing, cutting, trimming, re-swaging and so on, until this palatal plate is so swaged and shaped that definite points between the teeth and over the heels of the back plate A are such that there is no wax exposed on the palatal surface, or on the heels of the plate A. This palatal late B should extend approximately ik, eyond the base plate.

9. Attaching loops to the palatal plata- After swaging, remove the palatal plate and solder several little loops 3 to the upper side thereof around the entire plate about ,353 from the edge (see Fig. 14). These loops may be formed out of a single strip of wire and for the same purpose as the loops 2 above-mentioned on the base plate A; that is, to form an anchorage for the rubber. With these loops in place on the palatal plate, the latter is again re-swaged into position until its perimeter is shown to have a close lit against and into the interstices between the teeth.

10. The palatal plate and the back plate with teeth still in position, and model, are then all removed from the swaging ring and cleaned of plaster and placed in the bottom half 15 of a flask (see Fig. 8). The flask around the model is filled with plaster 16 up to the exposed base of the teeth. That is, the teeth are not covered with this first plaster filling, but only around the model. and the wax in which the teeth are temporarily embedded are covered with the plaster. This plaster is allowed to set andv is then painted with a separating fluid. The top half 17 of the flask is then pla-ced in position and the flask is filled full with plaster 18, and the top 19 of the flask applied; the last plaster lilling being allowed to set (see Fig. 9).

11. When the plaster is thoroughly dry the flask is placed in water and brought to a boil thereby softening the wax which teinporarily holds the teeth. The liask is then opened up and the parts separated; the teeth and the palatal plate being firmly embedded 'in the plaster body 18; these parts all being carried by the top half of the flask, the lower half of the flask containing the model and the base plate.

l2. Packing the dental mwen-As the base plate A still adheres to the portion of the denture carried by the lower half of the flask, the top, carrying the palatal plate and the teeth embedded in the plaster body 18,.`

is lifted off and the soft wax removed from the teeth and the two plates A and B in any suitable manner. Dental rubber is then packed around the roots of the teeth and smeared over the adjacent faces of the two plates A and B; 'smallwaste gates lorports 2O being cut at the back of the model for the outlet of excess rubber.

13. VuZcam'ez'ng.-The flask is then put together with pressure and vulcanizer, after which the excess rubber is removed from the back of the plates and the overlapping back edge 5 of the palatal plate is burnished over the edge of the base plate A, thereby covering the joint ofthetwo plates.

The denture is now ready for use.

As a result of this structure considerable saving in metal is effected, the rubber lbed at the inside of the teeth is sealed, and there is given the appearance of a solid gold plate; the two thin Sheets of metal A and B are lighter and are stronger than the single thick sheet heretofore used, and also are much easier to shape. The only rubber visible is the portion E around the outside, giving a color in imitation of the gums. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is y l. The method of forming artificial dentures which comprehends first the making of an impressiomthen the making of a model from the impression, then swaging a base plate on the impression, then obtaining al bite, articulating the teethpon the base plate, then placing the base plate with the articulated teeth upon the model and building up with plaster around the outside of the model and teeth and separating the plaster and allowing the plaster to set so as firmly to hold the teeth against displacement when outward pressure thereon is applied, then swaging a palatal plate over the palatal surface included by the teeth, placing the model and base plate with teeth thereon and palatal' plate into a flask, pa-cking with plaster and separating in the usual manner, and vthen packing the space between the palatal plate, back plate and around the teeth with dental rubber, subjecting the` parts to pressure to extrude the excess rubber, then vulcanizing the rubber and burnishing the plate.

2. The manufacture of an artificial denture which includes as a step therein the preparation of a palatal plate by swaging against the teeth set in wax by supporting the teeth by a body of plaster around the outside thereof against the swaging action of the palatal plate against the teeth.

3. An artificial denture which comprises in combination a back plate suitably shaped to the impression of the mouth with a row of teeth on the alveolar ridge of the plate, and a palatal plate swaged between and against the teeth, the palatal plate entirely covering the palatal surface, and a thin layer of vulcanized rubber between the two plates and in which the teeth are embedded, said plates being of extreme thinness with little individual inherent rigidity and with the rear edge of the palatal plate burnished over the edge of the base plate covering the joint therebetween.

l. An artificial denture which comprises in combination a continuous hack plate shaped to the impression of the mouth and having an alveolar ridge formed thereby, a

row of teeth resting directly upon this ridge,`

a palatal plate fitting directly between the teeth and bearing with its opposite edges thereagainst, said plate being 4spaced from copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1D. c. 

